For blue posts today, Blizzard clarified some of their recent class balance changes and the design approach behind them. This included the much anticipated traps for Survival Hunters, which was teased during several BlizzCon interviews, as well as an explanation on what they are trying to do with Fire mages.

Blizzard also added keystone leaderboards for Mythic+ dungeons. You'll now be able to see who has the best time by realm and dungeon.

Finally, some hotfixes went out including some changes to Helya.

Class Design on the 7.1.5 PTR

Blizzard

As we mentioned before, the next PTR build will have a fairly substantial number of new class changes. We wanted to provide some insight into our goals and strategy with these changes, particularly for the specs that have seen the most change. Note that one of our overarching goals with Patch 7.1.5 is to increase talent diversity by making some of the less popular talents more attractive, which may open up new styles of play and new ways to approach different situations for all specializations, not just those we've listed here.

Protection Guerreiro:While Protection's performance is still solid, we want to provide Revanche a clearer role in the live rotation, and eliminate the need for an off-GCD ability (Raiva Concentrada) to deal damage. To address both of these problems, Revanche is made into a higher-damage ability, which is used rotationally with its usual activation proc, but can also be used outside of that proc by spending Rage. This eliminates the need for Raiva Concentrada. Trovoada will fill the role of a second Rage generator, and be used regularly while tanking. Also of note is a new talent that allows you to adopt a more open playstyle if you prefer, by making your auto attacks trigger Escudadas automatically, rather than fitting it into open spaces in your rotation.

Survival Caçador:Survival's most notable addition is some new gameplay for traps. As all Hunters will once again have traps in 7.1.5, we want to make sure that Survival still feels like the master of traps. In particular, we want to restore the concept of baiting enemies into traps, as opposed to merely dropping them at their feet for an immediate effect. A new Survival passive will grant all your traps an added effect if an enemy is led into the trap after it is placed, encouraging you to anticipate the movement of an enemy, or coordinate with your tank in group content. Talents further enhance this, allowing you to increase the bonus in situations where you can reliably make use of it, or to use a new effect on Steel Trap to singlehandedly eliminate enemies who walk into it of their own accord.

Marksmanship Caçador:We agree with players that Precisão currently relies far too much on not only to do good damage, but also to make the rotation feel fun and rewarding. As such, we're changing baseline Vulnerability to essentially bake in , and adding a new talent in its place. We are also adjusting some talents to allow for more diversity within talent rows and reflect the change to the base rotation. In particular, the Level 100 row: while Cascavéis was commonly used in all situations for its effects on the rotation, we'd rather the base rotation felt fluid on its own, and Cascavéis was a talent focused on the wide-area cleave that is its most clear purpose. Among other changes to help with this, Disparo Marcado no longer requires the targets to have Vulnerable to do strong damage, so builds without Cascavéis will be able to use it more effectively.

Shadow Sacerdote:Shadow's overall pacing is being adjusted so that the highest peak is at the end of Forma do Caos, rather than just before the start of the next one. As a part of this, Insanidade Persistente is removed, but overall Insanidade generation (and therefore Forma do Caos uptime) is increased. Additionally, Mind Sear is replaced with a new passive effect that allows Mind Flay to fulfill the same purpose. Shadow already has significant multi-target gameplay from the desire to maintain two damage-over-time effects on each target (a process which being is made smoother by allowing Void Bolt to extend DoTs on multiple targets at once). Finally, we are continuing to tweak the Insanidade decay rate in Forma do Caos, and the strength of Submissão à Loucura, to better balance the Level 100 row. We want to preserve the purpose and strengths of Submissão à Loucura for players who enjoy it, without it being quite so ubiquitous as it is currently.

Arcane Mago:Arcane is receiving several significant talent changes, to increase talent diversity and move away from some of the more problematic gameplay centered around Impaciente. In addition to a new Arcane-specific shield to replace Barreira de Gelo, there are few utility updates not yet on the PTR: Presence of Mind will be baseline for all Arcane Mages, and a new talent will be added that allows Arcane Missiles to be channeled while moving.

Fire Mago:While Fire was mostly in a good place, we're looking at two related issues in 7.1.5; the degree to which critical strike dominates other stats, and the overly high amount of damage concentrated into Combustão. Focusing on critical strike's very strong contribution to the damage of Combustão, as well as that of Encantamento Pirético, addresses both of these. We'll be adjusting the damage of Fire's core spells to leave its total damage similar to what it was before these changes. We're also giving Fire its own element-themed shield, as with Arcane.

Mythic Keystone Leaderboards Now Available

Blizzard

We’ve just added Mythic Keystone Leaderboards to the World of Warcraft site. You’ll be able to see who has the best time by Mythic Level each week and sort by realm and dungeon. You’ll also be able to view that week’s modifiers.Check out the leaderboards now and see how your group stacks up!We’ve been adding more great features to the new site including PvP Leaderboards, Talent Calculator, and more. Makes sure you visit the Game section to check them all out.

Comentários

Comentado por darkelemental1

Oh look, nothing on warlocks, of course. Sure there may be changes but I severely think Blizzard doesnt know what they are doing with them so they are not about to talk about them.

Comentado por mystyfan

on 2016-11-22T16:24:39-06:00

I hope they remember that they mentioned they were going to fix Outlaw so it isn't so janky.. Blizz said they were going to look into fixing RtB and/or making SnD a more viable alternative. Then NOTHING was said after that first assessment they made months ago.. RtB is an extremely horrible ability that looks good in theory but in practicum in PvE is about as fun as slamming ones hand into a car door.

Comentado por Kekt0nic

on 2016-11-22T16:24:56-06:00

lol so they knew from the beginning that Fire's payload was based around burst windows with Combust and yet they're like "oh well this just doesn't work"

No words. Honestly no words.

Comentado por nisx

on 2016-11-22T16:28:13-06:00

Love how they keep talking about Priests and Mages! Starting to think that this patch is centered around this two classes.

Comentado por Neversman

on 2016-11-22T16:30:25-06:00

Aaaaand shadow priests are nerfed again...

Comentado por Raybeze

on 2016-11-22T16:42:36-06:00

if these shadow changes go through i'll have to change my main, i've been fooling around with the changes on the PTR and it's completely ruined the class for me!

I can deal with the lack of Lingering insanity, but I can't deal with the changes to Void Bolt, i hate how it feels now.it should refresh the dots on the main target, and extend on secondary targets IMHO.

I also wish they would just make StM base line, or remove it entirely.that or completely drop the death effect when leaving voidform, or let us atleast battle rez.

Comentado por Weislet

on 2016-11-22T16:57:38-06:00

Let's see if they nerf trap damage to 'balance out' the greater damage of a delayed trap, while hunters get to figure out how to get tanks to drag mobs around just so they can do a bit more dps.

Comentado por Purgatorywolf

on 2016-11-22T16:59:41-06:00

How about bringing BM up from the bottom? :(

Comentado por Weislet

on 2016-11-22T17:14:06-06:00

How about bringing BM up from the bottom? :(

Those pages and months of feedback saying BM needs help means everyone's satisfied with how beastmaster plays and it needs nothing.

Comentado por namic85

on 2016-11-22T17:14:26-06:00

not a single comment on warlocks, 4head

Comentado por Oathkeeper0317

on 2016-11-22T17:31:33-06:00

One thing I'm hoping for soon, is more Bodyguard champions for other classes, like a Marksman Bodyguard for Hunters, its kinda annoying to have ONLY Survival Bodyguards. There are SO many Marksman Hunters who could fit the bill, it just would be more meaningful for a Marksman hunter with Lone Wolf to have a partner to work with them, it would fit a lot.

Comentado por darquis

on 2016-11-22T17:43:30-06:00

I don't know that they did a great job explaining the MM changes - yeah they bake vulnerability in which is nice, but I don't know that they really made that tier that viable. There's also focus concerns with taking out the focus cap that Patient Sniper was giving (that's 30 right off the bat), and then Sidewinders provides a significantly lower amount. It also doesn't apply vulnerability now, which makes taking it pretty useless on that tier and basically destroys the fun rotation for the class. I'm guessing that'll move to Trick Shots but idk - all around the class changes seem to be counter productive.

Comentado por BlackrockLobster

on 2016-11-22T17:46:13-06:00

Amen, fire and arcane mages look pretty silly wearing frost shields.

Although, it could also be said that the masters of the arcane look pretty silly dabbling the the shaman's wheelhouse of fire and water to begin with :)

Comentado por AvernusJubei

on 2016-11-22T18:16:45-06:00

" In particular, the Level 100 row: while Sidewinders was commonly used in all situations for its effects on the rotation, we'd rather the base rotation felt fluid on its own, and Sidewinders was a talent focused on the wide-area cleave that is its most clear purpose." Basically blizz saying "oh this talent makes your class rotation fun and fluid? okay lets nerf it so no one want to use it and essentially destroy your rotation! yay!" well i guess ill be playing another class now thanks blizz. even getting our traps back (which i was extremely happy about) isnt enough to make me stay as an MM hunter with these ridiculous changes (dont get me started on patient sniper...). I feel bad for spriests too, as their rotation also feels clunky now. thanks blizz.

Comentado por VegetaEU

on 2016-11-22T18:40:47-06:00

Nothing on Unholy Deathknight again... really?

Comentado por Akhyls

on 2016-11-22T19:48:44-06:00

Finally shadow priests can be a top dps too.. Aaaand it's gone.. -_-

Comentado por Aruhi

on 2016-11-22T21:28:06-06:00

Amen, fire and arcane mages look pretty silly wearing frost shields.

Although, it could also be said that the masters of the arcane look pretty silly dabbling the the shaman's wheelhouse of fire and water to begin with :)

But there's a difference there in that the Mage version of Fire and Frost is a manifestation of the arcane in the removal and addition of heat, so it's not silly at all.

Comentado por Snotzer

on 2016-11-22T21:38:36-06:00

Any chance that the loading screen issue will be sorted out soon?

Comentado por Eorza

on 2016-11-22T21:45:30-06:00

I have to be THAT guy.

Wouldn't you want to nerf the rage generation on warriors since its already easy to max it up and all?And yes, that's all while popping mitigation and all that. Yay to the damage boost though.

Ambervale is already teeming with withered. Why up it?Trying to get rid of them is the problem.